Postdoctoral Associate: Pathophysiology of PD

Society for Neuroscience; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Neuromodulation Research Center (NMRC) at the University of Minnesota seeks a postdoctoral associate to study PD pathophysiology in a progressive MPTP rhesus macaque model. Neural recordings span basal ganglia thalamo-cortical circuits to examine dynamics as motor signs evolve and respond to treatment.

Under supervision, the associate will collaborate on large-scale electrophysiological data analyses and may gain clinical exposure through neuromodulation research programs.

Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience, BME, ECE, or similar field.
• Strong quantitative background with signal processing expertise for neural data analysis.
• Proven ability to publish and present research results.

Responsibilities

• 75% Research duties: neural data collection and analysis; develop methods using Neuropixel probes in a preclinical PD model.
• 10% Supervision and project management of junior lab members and volunteers.
• 10% Career development: professional skills, leadership and technical training; weekly mentor meetings.
• 5% Travel and presentations: dissemination via abstracts, posters, and papers; travel may be required.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Quantitative background

Signal processing

Publications/abstracts

Education

PhD in Neuroscience, BME, ECE, or similar field

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

The Neuromodulation Research Center (NMRC), at the University of Minnesota, seeks a postdoctoral associate to study the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD), in a progressive, preclinical, MPTP rhesus macaque model of disease progression. Neural recordings are acquired across the basal ganglia thalamo-cortical circuit to examine changes in cell population dynamics, oscillatory activity, and connectivity as motor signs develop and become more severe, and as they improve with treatment conditions. These studies aim to provide the rationale for development of neuromodulatory approaches designed to reshape network activity.

Under the supervision of Luke Johnson, PhD and Jerrold Vitek, MD PhD, the associate will work collaboratively within the NMRC on an existing project supporting the collection and analysis of large-scale electrophysiological data sets. Trainees will also have opportunities for clinical exposure through our robust deep brain stimulation and movement disorders clinical research program. Candidates may refer to the below papers for context relating to ongoing experiments: Bauer et al 2023 J. Neural Eng, Ning et al. 2026 bioRxiv, Mohanty et al. 2025 PNAS, Johnson et al. 2021 Movement disorders.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience, BME, ECE, or similar field
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with others
• Strong quantitative background and signal processing expertise appropriate for the analysis of neural activity
• Strong record of presenting research results through publications and conference abstracts

Preferred Qualifications

• Programming in MATLAB / Python
• Experience with electrophysiological recording and analysis techniques, particularly high density recordings such as Neuropixel

Duties

• 75% Research Duties: Neural data collection, analysis; experimental and method development related to the use of Neuropixel recording probes in a preclinical paradigm. Analyze single and multi-unit activity derived from distributed brain regions to assess how neural circuits coordinate in the PD condition during a multiplicity of behaviors and conditions.
• 10% Supervision and Project Management: Manage direct junior lab members and volunteers to ensure timely completion of project aims
• 10% Career Development: Professional skills, leadership training, technical skills development, weekly mentor meetings
• 5% Travel and Presentations: Dissemination of research via abstracts, posters, and papers: may require travel away from the University of Minnesota campus

Our center involves collaborations across multiple fields including Neurology, Neurosurgery, Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, and Biostatistics; melding the expertise of a diverse team into a unique translational research model. In particular, we are looking for candidates with interest and experience with high density recording approaches, building on recent work in our lab establishing acute and semi-chronic Neuropixel implantation approaches targeting basal ganglia, thalamus and cortex.

More information about our center, and additional openings in both our clinical and preclinical labs, can be found at nmrc.umn.edu.